Skulduggery Pleasant

Skulduggery Pleasant is the debut novel of Irish playwright Derek Landy, published in 2007. It is the first of the Skulduggery Pleasant novels. The novel crosses the horror, comedy, mystery and fantasy genres.
The story follows the titular character Skulduggery Pleasant, an undead wizard and detective, with his partner Stephanie Edgley (Valkyrie Cain), and numerous magic-wielding allies as they try to prevent Nefarian Serpine from unleashing a weapon of terrible power on the world. The book was retitled Sceptre Of The Ancients for the 2009 paperback release in the US and Canada.
It won the coveted Red House Children's Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award in 2007.
The second book: Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire , third book: Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones and fourth book Skulduggery Pleasant: Dark Days are currently available. A fifth book, entitled Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil, is due out by September 2010. Harper Collins Audio also publishes the unabridged CD sets of the books read by Rupert Degas.

Plot Summary

Stephanie Edgley's novelist uncle dies, leaving her his vast mansion and the royalties from his best-selling books. At the reading of the will, a strange man in a tan overcoat, a hat, sunglasses and a scarf is present, along with Fergus and Beryl, Stephanie's none-too-liked aunt and uncle. Stephanie's aunt and uncle are given something as well: a seemingly useless brooch, a boat, and a car, which they both do not want. Spending a night alone in the mansion, Stephanie is attacked by a strange man, demanding she gives him a "key". As the man attacks Stephanie, the mysterious man in the tan overcoat from Gordon's funeral, known as Skulduggery Pleasant, arrives and saves her, throwing a fireball and then shooting the attacker. Skulduggery's disguise of a hat, wig and sunglasses fall off to reveal that he is an undead wizard, made up of only a skeleton held together by magic.
Upon slowly realising that her uncle was murdered, Stephanie, wanting to escape her previously boring and tedious life, helps Skulduggery investigate his mysterious death. Skulduggery and Stephanie gradually uncover a greater plot for world domination. Stephanie's uncle discovered an ancient weapon used by the first sorcerers, the Ancients, to defeat their tyrannical gods, the Faceless Ones. He sealed this deadly weapon, the Sceptre of the Ancients, in a maze beneath the house Stephanie inherited. The "key" is in fact the old, insignificant-looking brooch left by her uncle to his other brother's wife, Beryl.
Stephanie and Skulduggery, aided by an immensely strong tailor named Ghastly, and English professional swordswoman Tanith Low attempt to prevent the main antagonist, Nefarian Serpine, from obtaining the Sceptre. Serpine once served under the evil wizard Mevolent who waged a secret war on the wizard community, trying to take over the world. Skulduggery opposed Mevolent in this war several hundred years ago, when he was still alive. He became ensnared in a trap by Serpine, his wife and child murdered before his eyes and himself killed after several days' torture. His hate for Serpine allowed him to return from the grave as a skeleton and complete the war.
Now working as a detective and with Stephanie's help, Skulduggery defeats Serpine, destroying him with the Sceptre to protect Stephanie, breaking the Sceptre's power in the process. At the conclusion of the novel, Skulduggery offers to take Stephanie on as his assistant and student in sorcery; Stephanie has discovered through the course of the novel's events that her family are descendants of the Ancients and she herself has magic abilities.
There are many similarities to H. P. Lovecraft in the story. The Faceless Ones are likely inspired by the Great Old Ones of Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos and Lovecraft actually gets a mention by Skulduggery saying that his stories were inspired by myths about the Faceless Ones. Serpine also uses Lovecraft's name as an alias.

Characters

Skulduggery Pleasant      

Skulduggery fought on the 'good' side under the wizard Meritorious during the secret war. After his death, his body was placed on a spike and burned as an example to Mevolent's other enemies. Skulduggery did not move on after his death but stayed on and watched the war progress; to his horror, the tide turned and Mevolent gained advantage. In the book, Skulduggery's past life name (given name) has not been revealed. He accepts the sacrifice of individuals as part of war, but he is highly reluctant to allow this to happen to Stephanie. He protects her diligently throughout the novel; originally about to arrest Serpine only, he is forced to kill him when Serpine attempts to kill Stephanie.

Stephanie Edgley (Valkyrie Cain)    

Stephanie is a 12-year-old girl living in the quiet Irish sea-side town of Haggard. She is the niece of Gordon Edgley, a recently deceased horror novelist, whose novels she discovers were not completely fictional. She first meets Skulduggery at Gordon's funeral; Gordon was a friend of Skulduggery's. Skulduggery tells Stephanie how Gordon once described her as 'strong-willed, intelligent, sharp-tongued, doesn't suffer fools gladly', traits Gordon himself possessed. Stephanie proves herself to have all these qualities in spades, clashing wits with Skulduggery and annoying him to no end. She refuses to be left behind by Skulduggery when they first meet, despite his advice that she keep out of danger. He later comes to respect her abilities, recognizing them when she herself does not. Stephanie despised her boring, ordinary life; she did not have anything in common with her peers and though not disruptive at school, has a healthy disregard for authority. She takes great enjoyment in Skulduggery's more criminal escapades, such as breaking into a museum vault. She constantly proves herself to be every bit the equal of the adults, though some people under-estimate her - her pet hate is being called "child"or "baby".
Though possessing no immediately obvious special abilities, other than fundamental running, swimming and fighting instincts which help her out of trouble at the outset of the novel, Stephanie later learns she is a descendant of the original sorcerers. She begins to develop her magic skills, manipulating air in a climatic battle scene and managing to create fire at the end of the novel. Skulduggery offers to help her master her magical abilities, so that she can assist him in adventures to come. Her main strengths, however, are her intelligence, her sheer strength of will and determination. When Skulduggery is captured and the adults put off launching a rescue, she initiates a rescue attempt herself.
According to the novel's magical premise, knowing someone's name gives you power over them. China Sorrows knows Stephanie's name, and uses this knowledge to prevent Stephanie from rescuing Skulduggery. Stephanie takes on the name Valkyrie Cain. Taking this name seals her given name away, keeping others from controlling her and breaking China's hold on her, allowing her to save Skulduggery. Although known as Valkyrie by other characters from this point onwards, Landy continues to refer to her in the third-person as Stephanie, and Skulduggery chooses to call her by Valkyrie. However, for the rest of the series, she is known as Valkyrie.
She got her name from the Norse Warrior Women who guard Valhalla (she first heard this name after watching "rise of the Valkryries" with her dad) and she got her last name from the word Cain. (Skulduggery Pleasant introduced the word to her, claiming that she had a "penchant for raising cain", meaning that she makes trouble).

Nefarian Serpine (picture unavailable)

The arch-villain, Serpine is an evil magician who once served under the evil wizard Mevolent. He possesses magical powers that rival or may even surpass those held by Skulduggery. He is a sadist who takes great delight in the pain and suffering of others, especially Skulduggery. At first it appears that Serpine seeks the Sceptre to release the Faceless Ones but it eventually becomes clear that what he really wants is the Great Book of Names and the Sceptre is merely a stepping stone in his plan to obtain it.
Serpine and Skulduggery are old enemies. Serpine was the one originally responsible for Skulduggery's demise and was also the murderer of his wife and children. Skulduggery would love nothing more than to get revenge on Serpine and he eventually does by using the Sceptre to destroy the Great Book of Names, preventing the return of the Faceless Ones, enraging Serpine who attempts to kill Stephanie but Skulduggery stops him and avenges the death of his family by vaporizing Serpine with the Sceptre.
Serpine is highly intelligent and a skilled manipulator who seduced not only Mr Bliss but Sagacious Tome into joining him. He is a fanatic who is believed by many, (Skulduggery included) to be insane, although the Faceless Ones (as proved in Book 2 Playing with Fire and Book 3 The Faceless Ones) are actually real.
The greatest weapon in Serpine's arsenal is his right hand which some dark power has stripped of all its flesh and possesses the ability put individuals in great pain, eventually killing them when pointed at them.
Serpine bears many similarities to Sauron of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. A dark sorcerer who was once a servant of an even greater evil but is now the greatest villain in the world and who seeks a potent magical device to aid him in his quest for domination of the world (in Serpine's case the Sceptre, in Sauron's case the One Ring). In this, Mevolent could be seen to resemble Morgoth and Sagacious Tome could be seen to resemble Saruman.

Warner Bros, own the film rights to Skulduggery Pleasant. However, Derek Landy commented "that the movie will probably not be coming out in 2010... we have a director and are working on the script...but if the movie's made it will be live action."

Bali Suite Villa :)

here we are! this is me :P

And this is my girl friend :D

We stayed in Putri Bali suite villa :)

:) a beautiful moment ;)

me and her in padang-padang beach :) (uluwatu)

:D i miss that moment <3 tania tamsil ^^

There are lots of legendary pokemon!

 

This is Zapdos, Articuno and Moltres. three legendary birds, also known as the Winged Mirages, are the resident legendary trio of the Kanto region. They are Electric Type pokemon, Ice type pokemon and Fire type pokemon.

This is Mew and Mew two. They are not a pokemon that evolved with one body. They are different and seperate pokemon which is a very powerful pokemon.
Mewtwo is revealed to have been cloned from Mew in the journals in the Pokémon Mansion. Unlike most Pokémon, however, Mew gave live birth to Mewtwo, rather than laying an egg and Mewtwo hatching from it. Mewtwo was too powerful, however, and it escapes from the Pokémon Mansion, destroying it in the process. Mewtwo then makes its home in Cerulean Cave, where all kinds of powerful Pokémon live.

This three pokemon has known as Legendary beast. They are Entei, Raikou and Suicune. These legendary beasts, so named because their features are reminiscent of both canine and feline animals, were trapped in the Brass Tower when it was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, resulting in their death. The trio was revived by the power of Ho-Oh, and now roam across the land because of their great power.

This pokemon has known as Lugia and Ho-oh. Lugia and Ho-Oh are a pair of legendary birds which formerly resided in Ecruteak City atop tall towers, leading to their designation. However, when the Brass Tower, home of Lugia, was struck by lightning, it burned to the ground, and both flew away, Lugia to make its new home in the Whirl Islands and Ho-Oh to search the world for a pure-hearted Trainer. The two are thought to be as closely related as they are polar opposites, being based on the eastern legends of the Fènghuáng and Ryūjin.

Although it has no relation to Mew that has been revealed, Celebi was dubbed the "New Mew" when it was introduced in Generation II because of their similar size and stats, as well as the status of being the last in the National Pokédex as of its generation and being unobtainable through normal gameplay. Unlike Mew, however, it was not believed to be the ancestor of all Pokémon, but merely the guardian of forests, traveling through time to make sure of their purity.

They usually called Legendary Golems. They are Regice, Registeel and Regirock. his third trio of legendary Pokémon, based on the golems of Hebrew legend, featured minimally in Hoenn-region legend. Based on the three ancient ages of humanity, the ice age, the stone age, and the iron age, the legendary golems took a back seat among the legendaries introduced in their generation, and are sometimes referred to by fans derisively as the "legendary trash cans". Truly, this legendary trio, as well as its master, Regigigas, feature the most complicated method of in-game availability, with puzzles made of braille in the Hoenn region being the keys to unlocking their mystery.

 Another of Hoenn's minor legendary Pokémon, Latias and Latios do not feature a distinct legend behind them. Nonetheless, they are incredibly rare, with only one of the two available normally to players, and the other available through an event.
Latios and Latias take on counterpart availability in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald as well as Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, with Latios being a roaming Pokémon in Ruby and SoulSilver, and Latias doing the same in Sapphire and HeartGold. In Emerald, after the player has defeated the Elite Four, their mother will ask if the Pokémon mentioned on TV was red or blue, and depending on that, one of the two will be roaming Hoenn. The other member of the duo will be found on Southern Island, accessible by Eon Ticket, in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, and in Pewter City, through the Enigma Stone event, in HeartGold and SoulSilver.

The trio of super-ancient Pokémon, known for their weather-related abilities as the weather trio, serve as the version mascots of Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald and represent the three major components of the Earth: the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, and the atmosphere. Said to shape the land and sea, respectively, Groudon and Kyogre are among the most powerful legendary Pokémon, while Rayquaza prevents the two from quarreling.
During the course of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Team Magma or Team Aqua, depending on version, seek out Groudon or Kyogre, respectively, with the intention of awakening them to make more homes for Pokémon of the land or sea. Eventually, the plan goes awry, and the player is forced to defeat or capture the legendary to stop a global disaster. In Pokémon Emerald, instead, both teams are on the loose, intending to awaken their respective legendary target, and only with interference by the player and Rayquaza does the fight end up resolved.

Jirachi is known to grant wishes written on the tags on its head each time it awakens: once every millennium.
In the games, Jirachi has never had a concrete location tied to it, and it cannot be captured from the wild legitimately. However, several direct transfers have been present in the history of the franchise, most notably in the form of a bonus disc released as a preview of Pokémon Colosseum which fixes the Berry glitch present in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.
Jirachi starred in Jirachi: Wish Maker, where it befriended Max as the group attempted to keep it away from Butler, a former Team Magma operative.

Deoxys A virus from space which mutated when shot by a laser, was the first legendary Pokémon known to change form, taking different forms. They got 4 formes which is Normal Forme in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Attack Forme in Pokémon FireRed, Defense Forme in Pokémon LeafGreen, and Speed Forme in Pokémon Emerald.

Lake guardians, the name for those pokemon. The Sinnoh's native legendary trio, represent the spirit of all consciousness, with Uxie embodying knowledge, Mesprit embodying emotion, and Azelf embodying willpower. According to legend, having been created by the Original One, the trio have the power to tame the powerful dragons it also created.
In the games, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf are found in the caverns of Lake Acuity, Lake Verity, and Lake Valor, respectively, though Mesprit will roam Sinnoh after the player has encountered it, rather than battle immediately as the other two will. The trio are captured by Team Galactic's Commanders, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn, and subjected to the experiments of Charon to draw out the Red Chain from the gems in their bodies. Cyrus summons the legendary dragons of Sinnoh mythology, and alone, the lake guardians' power is not enough to stop Dialga and Palkia. Giratina interferes and draws Cyrus into the Distortion World, where the lake guardians assist the player in navigation toward Giratina's lair.

The legendary creators of the Pokémon universe, the Dragon trio consisting of Dialga of time, Palkia of space, and Giratina of antimatter, are, like the weather trio before them, the mascots of Sinnoh's trio of games, Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.
In the games, Dialga and Palkia are sought by Cyrus to destroy and then remake the universe without spirit, a thing he hates about humanity. At Spear Pillar, one of the two will be able to be captured in Diamond and Pearl, depending on the game, while Giratina may be obtained after the Pokémon League has been conquered. In Platinum, however, Giratina interferes with Cyrus's planned destruction of the universe, and may be captured in its home, the Distortion World, while Dialga and Palkia cannot be found until the Elite Four have been defeated.

Cresselia and Darkrai represent two phases of the moon with opposite connotations: Darkrai represents the new moon, the cause of the darkest nights and bringer of nightmares, while Cresselia represents the crescent moon, a sign of hope and good dreams. 

 

The sea guardian Pokémon are a legendary duo that, like Mewtwo and Mew, is comprised of a parent and child. Manaphy, a legendary Pokémon that makes its home in warmer seas south of the known regions, bears Phione when bred in captivity in the known regions. Manaphy can only be found through an event: either it may be transferred in its egg from one of the Ranger games after activating an event in those games, or can be directly received via various Mystery Gift events. Like Jirachi, it cannot be legitimately found in the wild. Phione, of course, must be bred from a Manaphy and a Ditto, making it the only legendary Pokémon available only through this method.

Heatran is the embodiment of all volcanic activity, appearing in Stark Mountain in Sinnoh, where it was said to have been born at the same time as Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina created Sinnoh at Spear Pillar and created the Battle Zone. Heatran is the first, and currently only, legendary Pokémon with a variable gender.
Heatran first appeared in the anime in Arceus and the Jewel of Life, under the control of Marcus, and later appeared in DP169 as part of a Pokémon Ranger rescue mission.

Regigigas is the master of the legendary golems, having created them in ancient times.This pokemon can be say as a combination of regice, registeel and regirock.
In the games, Regigigas is found at Snowpoint Temple, though it will not awaken unless all three of the legendary golems are in the player's party.
Regigigas appeared in the anime in Giratina and the Sky Warrior, where it attempted to stop a glacier from destroying Gracidea. Another appeared in Pillars of Friendship!, where it was hunted by J and defended by Brandon.

Shaymin, A legendary Pokémon that has the ability to purify areas instantly and bring plant life in abundance, Shaymin is referred to as the Mew of Generation IV. Unlike previous event legendaries with its straight-100 base stats, however, Shaymin has the ability to change forms, between Land Forme and Sky Forme. 

Arceus is, according to legend, the creator of the Pokémon universe. Born of an egg in the chaos at the beginning, Arceus's powers were awakened immediately, and from itself it made time and space, matter and antimatter, and set Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina to guard them. It created spirit as well, setting Uxie in charge of knowledge, Mesprit in charge of emotion, and Azelf in charge of willpower, before falling into an eternal slumber.

Arceus can be awoken from its sleep using an Azure Flute at Spear Pillar, which will open a staircase to its home, the Hall of Origin. There it can be captured, though no legitimate way of obtaining the Azure Flute has yet been released. 

 

Story about stupid student and principle at school (indonesian Version)

Suatu hari di sekolah yg bernama xxx, akan mengadakan upacara 17 Agustus. Murid2 yg bersangkutan pun di harapkan untuk berlatih setiap hari sampai tanggal H tersebut. Anak2 yg bersangkutan selalu saja memprotes karena kepanasan dan lain hal tetapi guru2 tidak memperdulikan mereka karena guru2 juga merasa seperti yang mereka rasakan dan tak bisa berbuat apa2.
Hari H pun tiba. Murid2 yang mendapatkan tugas, berdiri di tempat masing2 seprti pada saat latihan. Pemimpin barisan menyiapkan barisannya dan berlanjut pada pemimpin upacara datang dan pemimpin barisan paling kanan memberi hormat serta diikuti oleh smua murid di dalam barisan. dan berlanjut sampai akhirnya satu petugas upacara membacakan proklamasi. ' Proklamasi! kami bangsa Indonesia,  dengan ini menyatakan kemerdekaan Indonesia. Hal-hal mengenai perpindahan kekuasaan dan lain-lain, diselenggarakan dengan cara seksama dan dalam tempo sesingkat-singkatnya, Jakarta, hari 17 bulan 8 tahun 1945. Atas nama bangsa Indonesia, soekarno'.
begitu petugas upacara itu selesai membaca proklamasi tersebut, iya berbalik badan dan balik ke tempatnya. Pada saat yang sama, teman di sebelahnya ingin mengingatkannya sesuatu dan berkata ,' eh! km lupa sesuatu! Hatta juga!'. Petugas pembaca proklamasi dengan cepat kembali ke tempat mic berada dan berkata dgn keras berniat melanjutkan teks tersebut ,' HATTA JUGA'. Semua murid di dalam barisan pun tertawa terbahak-bahak. Ini adalah salah satu kesalahan yang sangat fatal. Yang kedua, pada saat waktunya kepala sekolah menyampaikan isi pancasila, seorang petugas pembawa kertas pancasila tersebut berniat memberikan teks itu kepada kepala sekolah akan tetapi dengan tegas dan percaya diri kepala sekolah itu berkata ,' TIDAK! saya sudah hafal.' dan murid itu pun kembali ke posisi ia berdiri sebelumnya.
Kepala sekolah itu menunjukan sesuatu yang menajubkan kepada murid2 yang berada di dalam barisan terutama kepada anak SD karena pancasila memang suda wajib di hafal sejak SD.
Akhirnya, kepala sekolah tersebut mulai berbicara. 'ISI DARI PANCASILA! saya akan membacakannya diikuti dengan semua murid dan guru!'
Semua murid dan guru mengangguk dan memberi pertanda bahwa mereka mengerti. Dimulailah kepala sekolah itu membaca pancasila tersebut.
" SATU! PANCASILA! DUA! KETUHANAN YANG MAHA ESA!TIGA!! KEMANUSIAAN YANG ADIL DAN BERADAB! EMPAT!! PERSATUAN INDONESIA! LIMA!! KERAKYATAN YANG DIPMPIN OLEH HIKMAT, KEBIJAKSANAAN DALAM PERMUSYAWARAHAN DAN PERWAKILAN! ENAM......................" Kepala sekolah pun terdiam di depan mic dan ia berkata " LHO? KOG ENAM??"
Semua murid pun tertawa sampai terjungkal jungkal.
Inilah kisah kepala sekolah dan murid yang sedikit lebih bodoh di banding dengan anak SD.

:D have fun!

HEY LETS PLAY RUNESCAPE TOGETHER ! :)

Runescape  Free player no needs to pay (thats how it call FREE) and if u want to play in the member worlds, u have to pay for it ;)

so here i am.. I'm a free player in Runescape, why? I'll tell u later :D.

RuneScape is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in January 2001 by Andrew and Paul Gower. It is a graphical browser game implemented on the client-side in Java, and incorporates 3D rendering. The game has approximately 10 million active accounts, over 130 million registered accounts, and is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world's most popular free MMORPG.

RuneScape takes place in the world of Gielinor, a medieval fantasy realm divided into different kingdoms, regions, and cities. Players can travel throughout Gielinor on foot, through use of magical teleportation spells and devices, and via numerous other methods, such as charter ships. Each region offers different types of monsters, resources, and quests to challenge players. The game's fictional universe has also been explored through a tie-in video game on its maker's other website, FunOrb, Armies of Gielinor, and a novel, Betrayal at Falador^.

Players are represented in the game with customisable avatars. RuneScape does not follow a linear storyline; rather, players set their own goals and objectives. Players can choose to fight non-player character (NPC) monsters, complete quests, or increase their experience in the available skills. Players interact with each other through trading, chatting, or by participating in mini-games and activities, some of which are competitive or combative in nature, while others require cooperative or collaborative play.

The first public version of RuneScape was released on 4 January 2001 in beta form, and in December 2001, Jagex was formed to manage the game. As the game's popularity grew, the game engine was rewritten, and its beta was opened to paying players on 1 December 2003 under the name "RuneScape 2". It was renamed RuneScape upon its stable release on 29 March 2004.

About the game play :

Players begin in a secluded area, where they are taken through a tutorial, a set path where they learn the most basic skills in RuneScape. After the tutorial, players have access to tutors and advisors located in the towns they explore, who can give players appropriate information about their respective skills. When the tutorial was introduced on 24 September 2002, it was set on a secluded island, called "Tutorial Island". A new tutorial was briefly introduced on 14 July 2008, but the original tutorial was reinstated before being replaced again on 17 September 2009.

Players set their own goals and objectives as they play the game. They can train their in-game skills, engage non-player character (NPC) monsters and other players in combat, and complete quests at their discretion. Players interact with each other through trading, chatting, or by participating in mini-games such as clan wars, fist of guthix and castle wars and other activities to join in and enjoy.

Skills

A player catches a tuna using the Fishing skill

The 25 skills in RuneScape enable players to perform various activities within the game, allowing for interaction with NPCs, the environment and other players. The newest skill is dungeoneering. Players gain experience points in a skill when they utilise it. For example, mining an ore trains the mining skill, and when the player accumulates enough experience points in the skill, their character will "level up". As the skill level rises, the ability to retrieve better raw materials and produce better products increases, as does the experience awarded if the player utilises new abilities. The total skill level of a player partly symbolises the player's status in the game and the official RuneScape high score tables can be viewed by anyone. Upon reaching the highest available level in a skill, members may buy a special cape known as a "Cape of Accomplishment" or a "Skill Cape", to symbolise their achievement.
Some skills, such as woodcutting and fishing, enable the player to collect raw materials that can be processed into usable items for other skills, such as fletching and cooking respectively. The items created can be used by the player or sold to shops and other players. Other skills allow players to kill certain NPCs, pray to the gods of RuneScape during combat, chop their own trees and build fires, fish their own fish, mine ore and smith it into weapons, build their own houses, move around the map with greater ease, steal from various NPCs, market stalls and chests located in-game, cook their own food, create their own potions, craft runestones and weapons, plant their own plants, hunt NPC animals, raid dungeons, and summon familiars to assist in combat and training skills.

Combat 

RuneScape features a real-time combat system. Combat is an important aspect of the game, allowing players to retrieve items or gold dropped by defeated creatures or players. Combat is also necessary to complete many quests. A combat level gives an indication of how powerful a player or NPC is in combat. For players, it is determined by applying a mathematical formula to the eight combat skills. Players engage in combat by clicking on the enemy they want their character to attack. A player character will automatically continue fighting until they kill their opponent, die, or retreat from the fight. Most of the game's weapons are medieval or fantastical in nature, and feature different strengths and weaknesses. Players may also summon a familiar to assist with combat, and use potions and the Prayer skill to boost their combat ability and defences.Combat is subdivided into three main categories: melee, magic and ranged. Melee attacks are close range with or without weapons, magic attacks focus on using runestones to cast spells, and ranged attacks use projectile weapons like arrows, darts or knives. These combat types make up the "Combat Triangle"; melee attacks are effective against ranged opponents, ranged attacks are effective against magic opponents and magic attacks are effective against melee opponents. The advantages and disadvantages of the combat triangle apply to both NPCs and player opponents. Unlike most games in the MMORPG genre, RuneScape does not require players to choose a character class nor are players bound to a specific category of combat. They may freely change between the three styles of combat by switching weapons and armour. Players can even carry the weapons and armour of more than one combat category in their inventories, and switch between or combine the styles.
Players die when their health points are reduced to zero. Lost health points can be recovered by eating food or drinking certain liquids. Players who die reappear at one of four respawn points with their health points, and other reduced skill levels restored; however, they drop all but their three most valuable items. The items dropped form a gravestone, and they can be retrieved if the player can return to the gravestone before it crumbles within a certain time limit. Players can purchase longer lasting gravestones, and fellow players can repair or bless a gravestone to make it last longer as well. However, there are situations in which all items will be lost upon death.

Quests

Quests are series of tasks with a storyline that players can choose to complete. These often have requirements including minimum levels in certain skills, combat levels, quest points and/or the completion of other quests. Some quests require players to work together, and many require players to kill particularly powerful monsters and solve extremely difficult puzzles. Quests are grouped into categories based on requirements and difficulty. Once a player completes all quests in the game, an achievement cape, called the "quest point cape", can be purchased from an NPC. New quests are released periodically. Right now, there are about 300 quest points obtainable.
Players receive various rewards for completing a quest. Rewards depend on the quest's difficulty and include gold coins, unique items, access to new areas or objects, increases in skill experience and/or quest points. Quests form the storyline of RuneScape, and are part of a series of quests that become increasingly difficult. The longest and oldest of these is an incomplete eight-part series known as "Plague City," which was started in 2002. The storyline takes players through a conspiracy, mysteries of the Elven Temple and city, and unlocks areas inhabited by elves. Jagex has previously stated that it is the closest thing RuneScape has to a central storyline.

Economy

The main form of currency in RuneScape is gold coins. Players can trade items and gold coins with each other, either through a face-to-face trade, or by using a large automated marketplace known as the Grand Exchange. Players using the Grand Exchange can buy and sell items within a set price range, which is governed by an overall market price. This market price is adjusted based on the prices of exchanged items on the Grand Exchange.
Shops in RuneScape will adjust the prices of their items based on stock levels; a shop with higher or lower stock levels will lower and raise the prices it charges for items respectively. To prevent players from buying items in shops and selling them on the Grand Exchange for profit, shop prices are also adjusted as the market price rises or falls.

Chat system

The chat system enables players to communicate with each other. Public Chat broadcasts text to players in the local area on one server, both by text appearing above the speaker's head and in the message box. Clan Chat broadcasts text in the message box to only those players logged in to a special virtual channel. Players in the channel can be on any RuneScape world. Each Clan Chat channel has an owner, who can assign different ranks to individual players; players' ranks dictate their ability to talk in the channel or to remove other players from the channel. Private Chat allows for one-to-one communication through a player-controlled Friends List. Quick Chat allows players to choose from a list of prearranged messages to send as Public Chat, Clan Chat, or Private Chat.
Safeguards protect users from receiving verbal abuse; the most proactive of these safeguards is a word filter, which replaces specific words and phrases with asterisks. Players also have access to a personal Ignore List, which prevents them from seeing messages from any player they add to the list.
Players found to have used inappropriate language in the game may be muted temporarily or permanently, either by a Jagex staff member or by a player who has been granted Player Moderator status. Muted players are unable to talk freely, but may still use the Quick Chat system.
Any player who admits to being under the age of 13 cannot talk freely within the game, and can only use Quick Chat until their 13th birthday, unless they have parental consent to do otherwise. There are also special servers on which players can only use Quick Chat to communicate.


^{Lets try it ;)}

Will Spongebob make you gay?

first it was the spate of the SpongeBob rob jobs from local Burger Kings . Now the little yellow guy who lives in a pineapple under the sea is at the center of a far grimmer controversy, again not of his own making. Two conservative Christian groups attacking the cartoon character for allegedly being part of, as one of them put it, a "pro-homosexual video." 

A man named Dr. James Dobson, founder of a conservative Christian group called "Focus on the Family" addressed members of Congress at a black tie dinner in Washington celebrating the president's election victory this week.  He advised the group that SpongeBob had been included in a pro-homosexual video which was to be mailed to thousands of elementary schools to push a tolerance pledge by kids, including tolerance of differences of what Dr. Dobson called "sexual identity."  Dr. Dobson said most of the favorite cartoons of America's kids were in on the plot, Barney and Jimmy Neutron included.  

There is a video. It was broadcast in 2002 and has been revised for distribution to schools in March. It does promote tolerance of diversity, but contains no reference to sex, sexual lifestyle, sexual identity or Paris Hilton. 

The eight-page long teacher's guide that accompanies that DVD makes three passing references to same-sex parents. It contains generic advice about what teachers should do if kids ask them about atypical homes— like ones with adoptive parents, step-siblings, or grandparents. Teachers are advised to remind kids that everybody's family is different, but they're all based on love. 

Dr. Dobson's press spokesman says he's not sure whether or not Dr.  Dobson has seen the SpongeBob video, but he has been briefed on it. And an assistant says the group stands by its claim, and says, "We see the video as an insidious means by which the organization is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids. It's a classic bait and switch." 

Bait and switch, a fish reference for an underwater cartoon.  Clever. 

Though the revised "SpongeBob and Friends tape," which is to be distributed to the schools, is not supposed to be released until March, we've gotten a hold of the advanced copy from the "We Are Family Foundation," which produced it. It is a foundation created by the man who wrote the disco hit of 1979, "We Are Family." Below is the whole thing, with the caveat that if the folks from Focus on the Family are right, it could make you, your children or maybe your furniture gay. Or tolerant. 

Video: SpongeBob controversy

By the way, not only did I not see any sexual identity in that, I didn't even see very much of SpongeBob either. Although Winnie the Pooh wasn't wearing pants. 

Mark Barondess, the lawyer for the "We Are Family Foundation" told "The New York Times" that any critics of the video "need medication." 

We here found it hard to argue with him.

Hello :) My biodata is here, down here ^^

Hello guys.. my name is Marvenius Lex Christiano or many people call me Len or sort of it :D
I'm Asian people mixed with lil it western blood who loves to playin guitar, keyboard(instrument),piano, and other instruments. I love drawing manga too (one day i'll show it to u guys) and i love sport :D:D
I'm good in basketball sport ^0^
I live in Indonesia rite now, Bali, Jimbaran :) I study here in Taman Rama Jimbaran School or maybe it famous by Gandhi Jimbaran ;) I'll tell u guys lil bit about Bali ! :D This island got a lots of tourist from many country cuz Bali got many good view in some place and 1 thing that is the most important is Bali got a lot of beach and it has a good WAVE, and I know what u guys think when u hear 'wave', SURFING, thats right! ;)
well yeah, continue to my life, I live with my mom now and my younger sister :) ive got older sister but she moved to Singapore to continue her college :) and now i'm in Senior high school or u can say i'm in grade 11 now.. :) my mom and my dad alrdy seperate or divorce since i was in grade 5 or 6 maybe (forgot) so I'm really care of my mom ;) it doesnt mean I'm a mama booby. LOL
Oh hey, wow i need to tell u guys something too. Other reason that makes my life more beautiful is that ive got a really perfect girlfriend that always support me with everything that i do (not totally everything) but most of the positive things that i do, she will always support me in every way :D thanks babe! and yeah we r LDR or we call it Long Distance Relationship. So we can only meet like 1 year for twice or maybe once T^T she live in Jakarta and I live in different city so that its hard for us to meet each other. We do this healthy relationship for 1 and a half year :) i proud of her that she can face me for a more than year (wow, kewl!) :D

so.. maybe thats all for my Biodata and lil bit from my life :)